Device for suctioning

ABSTRACT

The suction device incorporating the present invention has a telescoping upper and lower casing and an interposed carrierdirector with fixtures attached for the purpose of controlling suction and the amounts of fluid allowed into the instrument, and depending on the controlled amount of protrusion of the carrierdirector, control of suctioning and the amounts of fluid to the parts suctioned is obtained. Means of releasing unwanted suctioned matter is provided for in the device. The carrierdirector is hollow and carries fluid from a source into the distal end, the outlet is guarded by a t-tube which is occluded when the outlet is brought in contact with a hollow ring fixed to the lower casing. At the end of the carrier-director is a ball which occludes the opening of the lower casing at the distal end. Depending on the position of the ball relative to the mouth of the lower casing and the opening in the carrier-director to the fixed ring, the fluid flows readily when the opening of the ttube is not occluded. The constant suction applied to the outlet in the lower casing, is varied in effect by the relative position of the ball. When the ball occludes the mouth of the lower casing, the suction is applied only to the contents of the lower casing. When the ball is protruded a fixed distance when the upper casing meets a fixed obstacle on the lower casing, this distance is also the amount required to bring the t-tube into the ring thus shutting off inlet of fluid. The suction is now applied to the part to be suctioned. Further protrusion a fixed distance by pressure on a knob on the proximal part of the directorcarrier allows both suction and fluid to be applied to the part to be suctioned. Thus unwanted intrusion of a part being suctioned is pushed further away and is washed away by a flush of fluid following the release which occurs when the t-tube is pushed away from the lumen of the ring. When suction is desired to be continued in the part to be suctioned the pressure on the knob is released and a spring-like fixture on the upper end of the carrier brings the carrier director back to the position of the upper casing being compressed against the lower casing. If suction to the part of the organ being suctioned is desired to be interrupted, release of the pressure on the upper casing allows the carrier-director to return the position of the uncompressed spring-like device now suction is applied only to the suctioned material by reason of the lower casing being closed off from the part to be suctioned by the ball on the end of the returned carrier-director, and fluid flows freely to dilute the suctioned material and to pressure the material out of the suction egress tube. This occurs because the t-tube on the carrier-director is carried away from the ring, so the outlet of fluid is free.

United States Patent Elcaness [451 Nov. 7,1972

[54} DEVICE FOR SUCTIONING [72] Inventor: Harold Elcaness, PO. Box 426Payne Rd., Block Island, R.I. 02807 [22] Filed: Aug. 7, 1970 [21]Appl.No.: 61,879.

Primary Examiner-Charles F. Rosenbaum [57] ABSTRACT The suction deviceincorporating the present invention has a telescoping upper and lowercasing and an interposed carrier-director with fixtures attached for thepurpose of controlling suction and the amounts of fluid allowed into theinstrument, and depending on the controlled amount of protrusion of thecarrierdirector, control of suctioning and the amounts of fluid to theparts suctioned is obtained. Means of releasing unwanted suctionedmatter is provided for in the device. The carrier-director is hollow andcarries fluid from a source into the distal end, the outlet is lowercasing. At the end of thecarrier-director is a ball which occludes theopening of the lower casing at the distal end. Depending on the positionof'theball relative to the ,mouth of the lower casing and the opening inthe carrier-director to the fixed ring, the fluid flows readily when theopening of the t-tube is not occluded. The constant suction applied tothe outlet in the lower casing, is varied in effect by the relativeposition of the ball. When the ball occludes the mouth of the lowercasing, the suction is applied only to the contents of the lower casing.When the ball is protruded a fixed distance when the upper casing meetsa fixed obstacle on the lower casing, this distance is also the amountrequired to bring the ttube into the ring thus shutting off inlet offluid. The suction is now applied to the part to be suctioned. Furtherprotrusion a fixed distance by pressure on a knob on the proximal partof the director-carrier allows both suction and fluid to be applied tothe part to be suctioned. Thus unwanted intrusion of a part beingsuctioned is pushed further away and is washed away by a flush of fluidfollowing the release which occurs when the t-tube is pushed away fromthe lumen of the ring. When suction is desired to be continued in thepart to be suctioned the pressure on the knob is released and aspring-like fixture on the upper end of the ca ier brings the carierdirector back to the po ition 0 the upper casing emg compressed agains te lower casing. If suction to the part of the organ being suctioned isdesired to be interrupted, release of the pressure on the upper casingallows the carrierdirector to return the position of the uncompressedspring-like device now suction is applied only to the suctioned materialby reason of the lower casing being closed off from the part to besuctioned by the ball on the end of the returned carrier-director, andfluid flows freely to dilute the suctioned material and ,to pressure thematerial out of the suction egress tube. This occurs because the t-tubeon the carrier-director is carried away from the ring, so the outlet offluid is free.

1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figures [451 Nov. 7,1972

United States Patent Elcaness DEVICE FOR SUCTIONING FIELD OF INVENTIONThe invention relates to suction devices and particularly to suctiondevices used in surgery. Where it is of critical importance to havecontrolled suction which does not clog the device and cause delays andreinsertions exposing the patient to increased risks of contamination.A, device with requirements such as this one fulfills is valuable.Conventional suction devices are notorious for their lack ofdependibility mainly because they clog or suction unwanted parts.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The chief faults of clogging are takencare of by providing for titred amounts of suctioned material beingallowed into the instrument. This is accomplished by the telescopingupper and lower casing with a carrier-director interposed, with a ballon the lower end of the carrier-director, a t-tube on the lower portionof this same carrier, a spring like device on the upper end and fixturesto contain it, as well as these fixtures being arranged so that when thecarrier-director is to be moved a fixed distance, as to protrude theball away from the mouth of the lower casing, the upper casing isarrested in its telescoping action by an obstacle on the lower casing.The fixture on the upper end of the carrier-director being immediatelyunder the lower surface of the upper casing end which is perforated forpassage of the carrier-director, pushes the carrier-director down thefixed distance which, the upper casing telescopes on the lower, thecarrier-director in turn moves the t-tube to be occluded by a ring likefixture attached in the lower casing, thus occluding the fluid outletand stopping the flow of fluid within the carrierdirector into the lowercasing. The ball on the lower end keeps the intestinal wall from beingsucked into the lumen of the lower casing. Suction is applied to anoutlet on the lower casing on its upper portion. If unwanted structuresintrude into the lumen of the lower casing, they can be pushed away bypressing a knob on the carrier director which further compresses thespring-like device, until the knob meets the upper end of the perforatedupper casing. The carrier-director being moved further moves the t-tubedistal to the fixed hollow ring attached to the lower casing. The fluidthen flushes away the unwanted part. Release of the knob allows thespring to return to strike the under surface of the upper end of theupper casing, bringing the t-tube on the carrier-director into thehollow ring and shutting off the slightly protruding vertical part ofthe t-tube against the wall of the ring. Release of the upper casingallows the spring to return to the uncompressed position by virtue nowof the lower fixture attached to the carrier-director which strikes theunder surface of the upper end of the lower casing. Now suction of thematerial in the casing continues because the ball-like attachment on thelower end of the carrier-director has been carried to occlude the lumenof the lower casing. The t-tube is also carried away from the ring sofluid can now enter the lower casing freely, thus diluting andpressuring suctioned material out of the outlet in the lower casing. Inaddition the length of the lower casing is sufficient to thread or pleatthe entire lower intestine on it without removing the instrument, sothat the entire lower intestine may be suctioned out if desired.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1, is a cross section drawingshowing the spring uncompressed, and the ball at the end of thecarrierdirector occluding the lower casing.

FIG. 2 is in the position of the upper casing telescoped partly over thelower casing, the upper casing arrested by the fixture on the lowercasing, the ttube brought into contact with the walls of the ring, 12shutting off fluid from entering into the lower casing, 4. The ball, 13is protruded away from the lumen, 8, of the lower casing.

FIG. 3 is a cross section showing the carrier-director, l, compressedfurther by pressure on the knob, 3, thus protruding the ball further andfreeing the t-tube 11, and the outlet of the t-tube 14, from the ring,12, thus allowing fluid to flow into lower end of lower casing, 4, andout of the lumen, 8, of the lower casing. Note the upper fixture justabove the spring compresses the spring in FIGS. 2 and 3. Release ofcompression brings fixture 10 just under the end of the upper side ofthe lower casing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The actual operation of the instrument sequentiallyis best described by starting with FIG. 2. This shows the position ofsuctioning the organ, the carrier-director, 1, being protruded bypressure over the upper casing, 2 which partially telescopes over thelower casing, 4, and by compressing the spring, 6, the carrier-directormoves to the position where the t-tube, 11, in the carrier director, 1,at its lower end with the protruding bar of the T, is occluded againstthe inner wall of the hollow ring, 12, thus shutting off the flow offluid through the lumen of the carrier-director, 1. The ball, 13, at theend of the carrier-director is away from the lumen of the lower casing,8; in this position, suction is applied to the organ. The walls of theintestine are prevented from being suctioned into the lumen, 8 by thedistracting force of the ball and the distance of the ball away from thelumen, 8.

If an unwanted structure should intrude into the lumen, FIG. 3 shows themaneuver to deal with this eventuality. Pressure on the knob, 3,protrudes the carrierdirector, 1 still further, carrying the ball, 13,at its lower end still more distal from the lumen 8, and at the sametime the t-tube, 11, is freed from the ring 12. Thus fluid flows intothe distal end of the lower casing, 4, and out of the lumen 8, to helpflush the intrusion away, the distal pressure of the ball helps moveaway the intrusion which usually insinuates itself around the ball, 13,in the small intestine. Of course the instrument can also be pulledproximally in toto. Release of the knob 3, allows the spring to returnthe carrier-director back to position shown in FIG. 2. The fixture, 15,on the upper part of the carrier-director, 1, strikes the under surfaceof the upper part of the upper casing, 2, and limits the return of thespring, 6 to that shown in FIG. 2.,at the same time the t-tube, 11 hasits mouth, 14, occluded by the inner walls of the hollow ring, 12, thusshutting off inflow of liquid through the lumen of thecarrierdirector, 1. In this position as shown in FIG. 2., suction isapplied to the organ but fluid is not.

Release of the upper casing, 2, as in FIG. 1, fixture, 10, the spring toreturn to the uncompressed position, 6. The fixture, 10, on thecarrier-director, l, limits the 2., then returning to position ofFIG., 1. The fixture, l

strikes the under-surface of fixture 7. Note thatthe fixture, 5, on thelower casing, 4, arrests the downward descent of the upper casing 2, asit partially telescopes over the lower casing, 4. It is this distance,between the lower end of the upper casing, 2' and the upper end of thering like fixture 5 as depicted in FIG. 1, which has been determined bythe distance which the protrusion of the ball-like fixture, 13, at theend of the carrierdirector,-1, is optimal for suctioning as shown inFIG. 2, which at the same time distracts the walls'of the intestine frombeing sucked into the sides of the limen, 8, of the lower casing, 4,which distance determines the descent of the upper casing and in turnthe carrierdirector, via the movement of the fixture, at the upper endof the carrier, since it is firmly attached to the carrier-director, 1,which determines the position of the mouth of the t-tube, 14, to beapposed to the inner walls of the hollow ring, 12 as seen in FIG. 1, andthen FIG. 2.; on release of pressure over-the upper casing, 2, thereturn distance is assured by contact of fixture 10, against the undersurface of fixture 7., compare 10, in FIGS. 2, and 1.

The position shown in FIG. 1, shows the lower casing, 4, shut by fixture13, thereby stopping transmission of suction to the organ. Now thepreviously suctioned matter can be disposed of by the free flow of fluidfrom the unoccluded t-tube 11,14, into the lower casing, 4. The pressureof this fluid helps dilute and force the matter out of the outlet forsuction, 9. Thus both suction and fluid help dispose of the suctionedmatter in the lower casing, 4, out of the tube 9, to which suction isapplied constantly or intermittently as desired by control of thesuctioning source. The design of the ball 13 is adapted to tangentialcontact with the walls of the organs, and by reason of its smoothness,minimizes trauma to insignificance.

The various fixtures attached to the carrier-director also help to keepthe carrier-director centered within the upper and lower casings.

While the drawings show that the fluid is carried through the centrallumen of the carrier-director it is not intended that this be taken asthe only alternative since it is logical to allow fluid through the verywall of the lower casing, longitudinally, or via a conduit on theoutside or within the lumen of the lower casing. It is not evennecessary to have the carrier-director operate by being interposedbetween the upper and lower casings but it might be also considered aswithin the makeup. of this device to have a carrier-director on the wallof the lower casing, within the lumen, or on the outside. For in makingsmaller versions of this device it is necessary not to compromise theinternal diameter with structures and therefore they may be constructedas indicated on the outside, or within the very walls of the device.

What is claimed is: I

1. In a device for suction comprising a telescoping upper and lowercasings, and an interposed carrierdirector having means for control ofsuction and of fluid passage and means for protecting vital structuresfrom injury by the device, and means of retaining the interposecarrier-director between said telescopigg casings, t e improvementcomprising a lumen in t e carrier-director which permits the flow ofliquid through it, and an outlet at the lower end of the lumen of thesaid carrier-director, said outlet containing a T- Tube, the projectionof which serves as a valve to control the outflow of fluid from the saidlumen of the carrier-director when the said projection is pressedagainst a hollow ring which closely encompasses the said projection,this said hollow ring being affixed to the wall of the lower casing by astrut, thus when the ring and the projection of the t-tube areapproximated, the control of the output of fluid is attained, and whenthe director carrier is not in such position as to oppose the projectionof the t-tube and the ring the fluid then has free egress from theoutlet in the said lower end of the lumen.

1. In a device for suction comprising a telescoping upper and lowercasings, and an interposed carrier-director having means for control ofsuction and of fluid passage and means for protecting vital structuresfrom injury by the device, and means of retaining the interposedcarrier-director between said telescoping casings, the improvementcomprising a lumen in the carrier-director which permits the flow ofliquid through it, and an outlet at the lower end of the lumen of thesaid carrierdirector, said outlet containing a T-Tube, the projection ofwhich serves as a valve to control the outflow of fluid from the saidlumen of the carrier-director when the said projection is pressedagainst a hollow ring which closely encompasses the said projection,this said hollow ring being affixed to the wall of the lower casing by astrut, thus when the ring and the projection of the t-tube areapproximated, the control of the output of fluid is attained, and whenthe director carrier is not in such position as to oppose the projectionof the t-tube and the ring the fluid then has free egress from theoutlet in the said lower end of the lumen.